Justin Bieber charged with assault, dangerous driving after ATV crash

THE CANADIAN PRESSPublished September 2, 2014 - 1:01pm Last Updated September 2, 2014 - 6:46pm

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STRATFORD, Ont. — Justin Bieber’s camp is pointing a finger of blame at the paparazzi for the pop star’s run-in with the law while he was visiting southwestern Ontario.

“Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez’s peaceful retreat in Stratford this weekend was unfortunately disrupted by the unwelcome presence of the paparazzi,” Brian Greenspan, Bieber’s Toronto lawyer, said in an email to The Canadian Press.

“This has regrettably resulted in charges of dangerous driving and assault. Mr. Bieber and Ms. Gomez have fully cooperated in the police investigation. We are hopeful that this matter will be quickly resolved.”

Ontario Provincial Police said Bieber, 20, was arrested Friday and charged with dangerous driving and assault following a collision between a minivan and an ATV in a rural area northeast of Bieber’s hometown of Stratford.

The driver of the ATV and an occupant of the minivan “engaged in a physical altercation,” according to police.

Const. Kees Wijnands wouldn’t say whether Bieber was driving the ATV, but pictures posted online show the Canadian star and on-and-off girlfriend Selena Gomez riding on a ATV on Friday. Bieber and his father Jeremy also posted photos of themselves riding horses on Friday.

Wijnands said there were no injuries as a result of the collision, but couldn’t say whether there were any injuries from the altercation.

“He attended our office and he was arrested,” Wijnands said. Bieber was then released on a promise to appear in court Sept. 29.

This is Bieber’s second run-in with the law in Canada.

Toronto police charged him with assault, alleging he hit a driver several times in the back of the head after he and five others were picked up by a limousine in the early hours of Dec. 30.

There is a court hearing in that case scheduled for Sept. 8, but Greenspan said Bieber won’t attend.